Feelings for the Man in Green
by hoagie
Summary: Selina finds herself developing Feelings for The Riddler that are more than friendly.
1. Human after all

I'll be honest with you guys, I love the Riddler/Catwoman pairing even though I couldn't tell you why. Anyhow this is the first chapter in my three part Selina and Eddie fluff fest.

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Selina could barely remember the last time she had felt the way she did now. The strange combination of emotions that made her feel like she was floating when she remembered the last time she had spoken with him and made it feel like a knife was being thrust into her heart when she even just thought of another woman speaking to him. She had fallen in love or maybe more accurately developed a crush. At least to Selina that juvenile expression felt more appropriate, whether that was because she felt that her love was doomed of if it was because the last time she had felt this way she was in high school she couldn't say.

For the longest time she had thought that she was in love with Bruce but the onset of her new crush had caused her to remember what falling in love really felt like and her attachment to Bruce was shown to be nothing more than a sexual attraction. This made sense considering how often she would grow bored of Wayne and would go months without speaking to him.

Although she hadn't dwelled on it for years, Selina's current condition made her think of the first time she had fallen in love. She was still in High school and a little unsure of herself, not like the confident and aggressive woman that would become Catwoman. The boy she had fallen for was scrawny, pale and quiet; the polar opposite of the type of men she usually found attractive. Selina couldn't remember what grade it was during but she could remember that she had shared a social studies class with him one year. He was the type that would come to class and basically never speak a word except for when their teacher would ask the class a question that no one knew the answer to. More often than not Sean would raise his hand and with obvious apprehension answer the question no one else knew the answer to.

It was Sean's unusually good grasp of the world for a teenager that made Selina notice him but that alone wasn't what made her love him. Like her current crush it had blossomed from a seemingly meaningless social interaction. Their teacher had assigned the class a partner project and of course Selina had ended up with Sean. Selina remembered that she liked working with him, he was intelligent and more or less ended up doing the work for the both of them. Another positive was that he had to speak to her; Selina had so rarely heard his voice before that day. Working with him she found that he spoke very softly most of the time and it made his soothing voice sound even cuter. That class ended and Selina went through the rest of the school day without incident. It was when she returned home and thought over her day and her social studies class particularly, that she felt a rush of emotion come and nearly overwhelm her. All at once she knew that she had fallen in Love with Sean, even though she had never felt the emotion before.

Selina's current crush and only the second of her life was similar in the since that it hit her like a ton of bricks after a seemingly uneventful social interaction. The difference this time was that she had fallen for the green laden narcissist, Edward Nygma.

Following a disagreement with Bruce over his insistence that she give up her life as a thief, Selina had gone to the iceberg lounge seeking solitude and a strong drink. Her desire to be left alone went unfulfilled though, as it was nearly impossible for a woman as attractive as Selina not to draw male attention. Coldly ignoring the stream of men that sat in the bar stools next to her, Selina stared forward and sipped her drink in silence till the man currently trying to entice her gave up and left in an awkward silence. This went on for ten frustrating minutes and nearly caused Selina to get up and leave till she spotted a bright flash of green.

Stepping out of one of the backrooms that she knew lead to Oswald's private office, selina saw Edward Nygma stroll up to the bar in full Riddler costume. Edwards's presence seemed to disperse the crowd of men around Selina immediately. While he was tall, Eddie wasn't a physically imposing man. Still he was one of Gotham's notorious super criminals and importantly he had the unmistakable smell of a recently fired gun on him.

Sitting in the stool next to Selina that was now empty thanks to him, the Riddler said "Good evening Selina."

"Hey, Eddie" replied Selina as she took note of how uncharacteristically soft his voice had been.

Peeking over at him, Selina watched a visibly tired Riddler raise a drink to his lips while he stared forward vacantly much like she had. It was strange being near Eddie without hearing him speak constantly but Selina didn't mind since he usually spoke too much in her opinion and she didn't have it in her to carry a conversation right then anyway.

For the next twenty minutes or so Selina sat and drank in silence while Edward did the same. As she did so the alcohol began to have an effect and soon her desire to be left alone began to fade. Suddenly feeling up to speaking, Selina turned to the tired looking man and asked in a joking tone "Hard day at work, Eddie."

"Exhausting…but lucrative" he answered plainly.

Edward reached into his suit's pocket and briefly pulled out a large wad of one hundred dollar bills before he pocketed it away.

"Most people in Gotham don't walk around with that kind of cash on them" Selina warned.

"Most people in Gotham don't carry a cane that doubles as a sword, as well as a gun."

Selina smirked in response as she looked down at the cane Eddie had leaned against the bar before sitting down.

"What about you Selina? Have you become an alcoholic or is this trip to the Iceberg lounge a consequence of your relationship with Gotham's favorite son?"

"You know about him" Selina asked by reflex but immediately regretted it. Her own question made her feel foolish; she was speaking to Edward Nygma after all. The man was full of himself but there was no denying he was brilliant; the Batman's true identity was probably obvious to him.

"I'm aware of almost everything that happens in this city, like how Batman uses equipment only a man of immeasurable wealth could afford.

Not willing to give him any details, Selina simply said "I'm not an alcoholic."

With a good dose of mockery in his voice Eddie said "It's a shame, you would think two orphans would be perfect for each other."

Trying to suppress a somewhat drunken laugh Selina replied "I suppose learning that your loved ones can be taken from you at an early age doesn't lead to a healthy relationship."

It felt morbid to laugh at such a subject but her alcoholic buzz made everything feel lighthearted.

"Having parents isn't all that it's cracked up to be."

Still joking Selina asked "What does having people tell you that they love you and that their proud of you get old?"

"Well, I wouldn't know about that, but I do know that if it wasn't for my father I would have had fewer bruises to explain away at school."

All at once Selina felt the humor in their conversation disappear. While she had grown comfortable with her own tragedy long ago, this was the first thing she had ever heard about Eddie's childhood and it troubled her.

"I'm sorry Eddie."

"Don't be, I'm the one that brought up childhood memories we'd like to forget."

Acting on a desperate desire to change the subject Selina asked a question. "So tell me Eddie, what motivated you to sit down next to me? You didn't seem to want to talk till you had a few drinks."

With a mischievous smile on his lips Eddie asked "Would you believe me if I told you I didn't feel like sitting by myself?"

"No" Selina answered coolly.

"Alright, well the reason is that your presence here presented a riddle to me, and we both know that I can't resist a riddle."

"What would that riddle be" asked Selina.

"Why would a woman as beautiful as you sit at a bar all alone?"

The compliment caught Selina off guard or at least she thought it had been a compliment. The way he had said it sounded like he was stating a fact not trying to flatter her. Left in an awkward spot, Selina was unsure of what to say next not that it mattered as Edward stood up from his seat.

"I'll admit that it took me longer than it should have to find the answer, but one doesn't just walk up to the cat and demand her attention. You wait till she extends it to you and then you probe for information. Or at the very least that's how most of our conversations go."

Pulling out more than enough money for both of their drinks, Eddie set the cash down on the counter before he spoke again. "Well, Miss Kyle I've enjoyed speaking with you but I really must be going.

With the tip of a hat the Riddler began to walk away.

"Good night Eddie" Selina said as she watched him go. As ridiculous as his green suit was, Selina had to admit it did wonders for his slim build.

Selina woke in bed the next day, as she stretched out and relaxed she tried to remember which day of the week it was. When you're a thief and not a member of the work force it was easy to lose track. In an effort to find out Selina thought over her memories of the previous day till she remembered her encounter with the Riddler. All at once she felt a rush of emotion that made her heart rate spike while at the same time a wave of warmth ran through her and made Selina feel like she was blushing. It had been a long time since but Selina knew this sensation, she had felt it before in high school, for whatever reason she had fallen for Eddie last night.

Although she had faced this type of situation once before, that didn't make Edward any less of a strange target for her hearts fixation. He was nothing like the men that usually caught her interest. Selina could understand why she was attracted to Bruce; he was good looking, wealthy, and genuinely a nice guy. Eddie on the other hand was thin, pale and self absorbed. Hell, falling for Bane would have made more sense to Selina, he was something of an over muscled freak but at the same time he was passionate and spoke with that sexy Latin accent. Eddie spoke with the same Gotham accent she did and the only things that made Eddie passionate were crossword puzzles and esoteric riddles.

Selina starred up at the ceiling of her bedroom and sighed in disbelief, she almost felt like arguing with herself that she didn't really care for him but every time the name Eddie came up in her thoughts she felt her heart flutter. Which Selina knew meant that the nerd in the green suit had wormed his way into her heart.

She wondered what had caused it, what had happened that changed her view of him. Perhaps it was the knowledge of his past, Selina had never even thought of him as a child before her talk with him at the Iceberg Lounge. Almost instantly her perception of him had changed from that of a man that was difficult to speak to because of his towering intellect to a little boy that was abused by one man that was supposed to protect him.

Was that it though, was the knowledge that Eddie was just another human being like her enough to make her fall for him or maybe she had always thought he was cute and that little bit of information about his past had humanized him and pushed her over the edge. She felt a little ashamed but as Selina got out of bed she saw that her latest theory was probably correct. She had always thought that the Riddler was in his own pompous way, kind of cute.

Going to her kitchen in search of a decent breakfast, Selina wondered what other people would think of her new crush. She didn't like it but Selina believed that it would taint her reputation as a woman not to be trifled with. She could only imagine what would happen if Ivy or Harley found out. Ivy seemed to have a personal disdain for Eddie, so that would be an ugly situation, although when Selina thought it over Ivy hated anyone with a Y chromosome. Harley however might very well approve of Selina's feelings considering the young blondes taste for crazy older men. Harley finding out would still bring problems though since the NYC transplant had never learned to shut her mouth.

In light of the way that other people would see her pursuit of Eddie combined with the simple fact that she never knew where the man was, Selina saw that a relationship with him wasn't realistic. Not to mention that Selina still had doubts as to what she felt for Eddie was truly love or if it was merely a childish infatuation.

Frustratingly, there was next to nothing in Selina's apartment to eat. Meaning she would have to venture out on a grocery run. The upswing of this was that she would get to walk in sunlight, which had become a rare occurrence thanks to her alter ego.

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Kind of an odd place to end a chapter I'll admit, but I wrote this story out like a giant one shot and decided that breaking it up into three chapters would make it easier to manage.


	2. Discovery

Part two in this childish mess of a story.

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Selina's shopping trip was a success, as she had obtained all that she had set out for. More importantly being outside her apartment had given her further clarity with which to ponder over her new feelings for Eddie. As she had already realized earlier in the day, a relationship with Eddie was probably never going to happen as the man was so rarely a part of her life. Plus Selina suspected that in another week her crush would die and any feelings she had for him would be gone.

Back at her apartment building Selina faced the decision of pushing herself a little and climbing five flights of stairs up to her apartment or be lazy and use the elevator. In light of the fact that she hadn't even eaten breakfast yet and she was lugging a bag of groceries with her, Selina stepped into the elevator. Pressing the button that would carry her up to her floor, Selina watched the elevator doors begin to slide together only for a gloved hand to reach into the doorway and make the doors open again.

Into the elevator stepped the man in the green suit, his face conveying surprise at who he had found inside."Selina, I must say I'm surprised to see you here."

Almost instantly Selina felt her heart begin to race, the last thing she had expected to do today was share an elevator ride with Edward Nygma. Edward looked at the elevators control panel but left it untouched before he leaned against the wall of the elevator and faced Selina.

The sight of the Riddler had caused a strong physical reaction in Selina, her body had dumped a large amount of adrenaline into her blood which was spreading fast thanks to the rapid pace of her heart. The whole reaction left Selina feeling jittery and nervous which made speaking in her usual calm and seductive tone difficult.

The elevator doors began to close again and this they met without incident. With the doors closed the machine began its upward journey and Selina felt a mounting pressure to speak to Eddie.

"Coming to visit me at home Eddie" Selina asked, managing for the most part to disguise her nervous energy.

I'll admit that had I known that you lived here I wouldn't have moved in. I don't like the idea of offering the GCPD a two for one deal."

"Moved in?" Selina repeated.

"Yes, I left a riddle for the Bat that lead to my old home, but in retrospect it was far too easy of a clue even for a man as thick headed as him. So I felt that a change in residence would be prudent."

Having calmed down somewhat since her initial shock, Selina calmly asked "What was the riddle."

A large smile grew on Edwards face since Selina had broached his favorite subject. "I left a note for him that read, **where is Edward Nygma. The world wonders.**"

"I don't know if that's really a riddle Eddie, that just sound like an oddly phrased question."

With a jubilant smile still fixed to his face Eddie replied "Trust me to a student of history it presented a clue that could have lead to my old apartment building that was named after a certain island in the Philippines."

The elevator came to a halt on the fifth floor and the metal doors slid open. Selina stepped out into the hall and the Riddler followed after.

"You live on this floor" Selina asked.

The Riddler simply nodded his head and down in response. "Now as you would expect of someone moving to another apartment, I'm very busy and must be going if I'm to finish moving in today. Otherwise the people of Gotham would have to wait another day for someone to challenge their mental faculties. "

Resisting the impulse selina felt to call Eddie's pretentious rant cute, Selina decided to say "See you later Ed" Before she turned towards her apartment.

Once at her doorstep Selina placed her bag of groceries on the floor so she could fumble around for the key in her pockets. This time of searching gave her the opportunity to look down the hall at Eddie who walked into an apartment five doors down from Selina's.

Back inside her apartment Selina saw that her conclusion of only an hour ago had fallen apart. Now that he was her neighbor, Edward Nygma was definitely a part of her life and judging by the hurried pace her heart was still running at, she doubted the feelings she harbored for Eddie were going anywhere any time soon.

The next two days were a strange period of indecisiveness that Selina was unused to. She hadn't seen or spoken with Eddie since their elevator ride even though there was nothing she desired more. At some point the idea of pursuing Eddie had become nerve racking, the feelings she had for him made Selina feel like she was at a disadvantage. She was used to being the one in control; after all she was Catwoman, the woman that could reduce everyman in Gotham into a drooling idiot. With Eddie the situation was different; she thought if her attraction to him had been purely physical she would have already had him wrapped around her finger. Then again she had never pursued Eddie before, so she couldn't really say Seducing him would be easy, the man was extremely intelligent and unpredictable. Most men would never spurn her advances but Edward Nygma wasn't like most men, that was probably one of the reasons he had caught her interest. It was this lack of confidence in her ability to predict his reaction plus the feeling that her emotions were clouding her judgment that kept Selina in her apartment.

For a brief time Selina's thoughts drifted away from her new neighbor and onto her nighttime activities. It had been a few days since she had last gone out as Catwoman and Selina intended to do so tonight but the sun would be up for some time. Selina had intended to pass the time till nightfall by catching up on some reading but instead ended up lounging on her couch and fantasizing about breaking into Eddie's apartment at night. As her daydream went on Selina felt more and more relaxed, soon she began to drift off as she thought about crawling into Eddie's bed and telling him he belonged exclusively to him.

A knock on Selina's door woke her and she rose from the couch with the realization that she must have nodded off while she had been waiting. Another knock came from the door, prompting Selina to move towards it which she did slowly as she was still drowsy. When she opened the door she saw that Eddie was on the other side of the doorway and any weariness she still felt disappeared.

Taking note of how tired she looked Eddie asked in a comical tone "I didn't wake you from a cat nap now did I."

"Just tell me what you want Ed" Selina replied sounding annoyed when she really wasn't.

"I have a business proposition for you though I don't think I should discuss it while standing in the hall."

Coming from most men Selina would have considered the possibility that what he had just said was a thinly veiled pretext to get inside her apartment. Coming from Edward Nygma, that seemed unlikely; not that Selina would have been offended anyway.

Stepping back, Selina moved the door back with her as an invitation for Eddie to step inside. As Edward strolled in Selina noticed that he was carrying a small black case about the size of a camera bag in his right hand.

"What kind of business are we discussing" asked Selina.

"I need someone with your particular skill set. I need a thief that understands discretion."

Wanting to cut to the chase Selina simply asked "What would I be stealing Ed."

Edwards's typical arrogant smirk grew before he said "I need you to access a closed computer network that I can't get to through the internet."

Selina doubted that he would tell her much, but she found herself asking "why."

"Let's just say the small pharmaceutical company you would be breaking in has developed something of a breakthrough in medicine and my employers would like to know exactly what that breakthrough is."

It was interesting, Selina thought and she was looking for something for Catwoman to do but something felt off about Eddie's offer. "Since when do you work for anyone else Ed?"

"I have to finance my own work somehow."

Satisfied by his answer Selina began to consider the offer more seriously, she liked the sound of the job and she had her doubts as to whether she could say no to Eddie in her current state. Still she didn't want to get into the habit of working for free even if it was for people she liked.

"What's in it for me, Eddie?"

"Well I could pay in cash if you wish but I believe that you will find this more interesting" said Edward as he opened the case he had brought with him and handed Selina a pair of goggles.

"I already have a pair of night vision goggles" said Selina even as she strapped them to her head and noticed that the sun was setting outside; which made her wonder how long she had been out.

"That's true but your goggles haven't been custom built by me and…" Selina felt a slight pressure on the goggles as Eddie flipped a switch on the side "as you can see the light amplification and image resolution is superior to anything on the commercial market."

Looking at Eddie's childish face through the goggles, Selina had to admit they were a definite step up from her old pair.

"Now as if that wasn't impressive enough, I managed to add a thermal imaging capability as well."

With the flip of another switch the image changed into one that was almost all black except Eddie who looked like a bright white silhouette.

"With this you can see people through smoke and even thin walls."

Thoroughly impressed with Eddie's efforts, Selina handed the device back to him before she said "You got a deal Eddie."

The Riddler's boyish smirk grew wider as he withdrew a manila envelope from his inside his suit.

"Inside you will find all the relevant information about the target building as well as a flash drive. All you will have to do is enter the user login I provide and then copy all the desired information onto the drive."

"You make it all sound so easy."

"Perhaps it would be, but I see no reason to take the risk myself when I can hire a professional. Plus if this all goes well I can add successful subcontractor to my long list of life achievements."

Feeling the desire to tease the man she had grown to like Selina asked "What would that list include? Being the one man in Gotham that could compete with the Joker for tackiest suit?"

Edward let out a disingenuous sounding chuckle before he said "Sometimes I forget how vicious you can be Selina. You're definitely the right person for the job."

Eddie handed the manila envelope to Selina before he repacked his goggles into their case.

"Now I've intruded upon your home long enough so I'll take my leave" With another tip of his hat Eddie was gone.

Selina had to say that her latest exchange with Edward had left her feeling content, not only because she had spoken with and received attention from the man she loved but he had given her something to do. She had already intended to go out as Catwoman that night anyway but she hadn't had any specific goal or target in mind and now she did. It was always easier to get excited for her nighttime activities when she had something to challenge her skills.

Hiding in the shadows outside the target building Selina saw that the five story office building was well protected. What they lacked in security cameras the company made up for in the large number guards that patrolled outside. It was clear that the front entrance would never work and Selina looked for an alternative means to get inside the building. She found one when she spotted that one of second story windows had been left open on the right side of the building and that there was a drainage pipe that ran up the vertical side of building next to it.

Sticking to the shadows and staying low made Selina nearly impossible to see thanks to her all black outfit. With relative ease Selina tiptoed past a guard that was patrolling the perimeter of the building and made it to just underneath the open Window. Thankfully that side of the building was unlit unlike the front face where the main entrance was, so there was little chance of her being spotted as she scaled the building. As Selina had hoped there was enough space between the pipe and the exterior wall for her to wrap her hands around the pipe and climb up. Leaning back so that her weight pulled against the pipe Selina was able to climb up the wall till she could grab the ledge that ran just underneath the second story windows. There wasn't much surface area for her to hold onto which forced Selina hold on by her finger tips which was painful but Selina tuned the pain out. Moving hand over hand Selina was able to shimmy over till she was directly underneath the open window. Selina hauled herself up enough to peek inside and saw that the room inside was dark and empty before she crawled inside.

Once she was inside Selina felt a strong sense of accomplishment, her job wasn't done yet but she loved the thrill of getting inside an area that was supposed to be off limits without anyone noticing. If she was ever questioned about it Selina would have to admit that she liked the excitement and challenge of stealing something far more than actually gaining something as a possession or the money that came with it.

From where she stood Selina saw a door that had too lead the main hallway and moved towards the door but did not open it. Instead she stood and listened quietly for the sound of footsteps that would indicate a patrolling guard but Selina heard nothing. Opening the door part way she peeked out into the hall and saw that her ears were correct, there was no one in the hallway.

From the room she had used to enter the building Selina stepped out into the hallway in search of the stairwell. The information Eddie had given said that the company archives were on the third floor which meant she would have to go up another level. The stairwell was far too well lit to be to Selina's liking but it didn't matter as there weren't any security cameras or guards on patrol. As she had before Selina stood in front of the door and that opened up to the third floor and listened for footsteps. This time she could hear the footfalls of someone on the other side of the car. The sound of steps appeared to be getting louder which Selina knew meant that the guard was coming closer to the door. Selina tensed for a moment as she feared the guard would walk into the stairwell but fortunately for her the guard kept going past the stairwell door and his steps began to grow quieter.

Realizing that the guard now had his back to the door Selina slipped through the door noiselessly into the third floor hallway. With the oblivious security guard to her left, Selina looked to her right to see a brightly lit sign that read "Archives" above one of the doors. She crept towards her objective without making a noise but was careful to keep her eyes on the guard who eventually came to a turn in the hall and disappeared around the corner. Selina tried the door but found that it was locked; she knew that she was likely going to have to deal with a locked door or two so she readied the lock picks she had brought with her. Going off just her sense of touch, selina closed her eyes and put all of her focus into taping the pins inside the mechanism. That is until she noticed that the guard's steps were growing louder again. Selina felt the pressure on her build with the realization that the guard was coming back her way. Fortunately for her the lock was cheap and very simple allowing Selina to pick it and close the door behind her before the guard came round the corner again.

Inside the archive Selina found several rows of desktops computers set up on waist high tables. Picking one at random, Catwoman switched the computer on before she sat in the cheap office chair in front of it. Next she entered in the login name and password she had committed to memory. As Eddie had said it would the computer accepted her identity and gave her access to all the company's knowledge and research data. Selina plugged the thumb drive in and copied all the research and development data for that year onto the drive.

When the files finished copying over Selina stashed the drive on her person and left the building the same way she had entered it. Selina headed for home with her confidence surging, this heist had been her first since before her fight with Bruce and the emotional confusion Eddie had caused. She didn't know if it was because of the successful job or if it was being Catwoman for a night that had made her look at her current situation in a different light, but Selina saw that her indecisiveness of the last couple days had been foolish. There could be no doubt Edward was a genius, but he was in the end only a man and Selina had always had a knack for eliciting Male attention.

* * *

"The world wonders" phrase was part of a codded message sent to Admiral Halsey that was mistakenly left in the message he received during the battle of Leyte Gulf. Halsey took the phrase as an insult since by then he knew that he had chased after a force of Japanese ships that were nothing more than bait intended to lure him away from the Philippines and leave the American invasion fleet there largely undefended.

I figured that the subject of military codes and code breaking would be of great interest to the Riddler, so what the hell.


	3. Homework

Oddly enough I had a lot of fun writing this even though I can't say that I'm proud of this story, I especially dislike the title but I cant think of anything better right now.

* * *

As far as Selina could remember, she and Eddie had never discussed when or where they would exchange the information she had stolen for her payment. It had been evidently assumed by both parties that they would eventually bump into each other. The trouble for Selina was that as the day after the heist wore on, she became increasingly impatient. She wanted the new gadget she been promised but more than that Selina wanted to be near Edward, who had recently become the most interesting man in the world to her.

Unable to resist any longer Selina pocketed the flash drive and left her apartment for Eddie's. Standing in front of Edward's door, she ran her hand over her hair to make sure she didn't look like a disheveled mess before she knocked on the door. Several seconds passed but the door remained closed and Selina heard no answer. Evidently Eddie wasn't home and Selina would have to wait till he came back, the trouble was that from her apartment she probably wouldn't even notice when he came home and the last thing Selina felt like doing was just sitting around at home.

To the master thief her next course of action was obvious; break into Eddie's apartment and wait for him inside. It would give her time to snoop around in his apartment and learn more about the man that had caught her interest, plus she could ambush Eddie inside his own home which sounded fun to Selina.

Selina returned home briefly to grab a set of lock picks before she headed back to Eddie's door. As she had hoped for Selina was alone in the hallway which would give her the opportunity she needed to pick Eddie's lock. Selina got past the lock with relative ease but didn't enter the apartment. Looking into the doorway she felt an instinct that said the Riddler would never trust just a locked door to secure his home. Sure enough Selina eventually spotted a nearly invisible strand of filament that ran across the doorway at ankle height. The trip wire could be the trigger to anything from an alarm system to an anti personal mine and Selina was extra careful to avoid the wire and keep an eye out for other traps.

Inside the apartment Selina walked into the large common room and found a table covered in mechanical parts and gears. Selina could only guess what dissembled device was and moved towards a large bookshelf that was packed with everything from classical literature to history books and technical manuals. Picking a large book out at random she looked at the book that was titled _The History of Military Encryption_. Selina felt a smile grow on her face; the subject of the book was probably a wet dream for a man that was obsessed with puzzles.

Putting the book back where she had found it, Selina wanted to continue looking through Edwards's apartment but the sound of footsteps caught her attention. The footfalls were growing louder and Selina slunk away from the large common room and crouched behind the counter top in the kitchen. As she had expected the footsteps had come from Edward who had returned to his apartment. From where she hid Selina could hear Eddie stroll form the door to the common room. Taking a peak over the counter she saw him look over his possessions, apparently looking for something.

"You know when I left my apartment I locked the door behind me."

Selina had forgotten to lock the door again after she gotten inside his apartment and now he had come home to find the door already unlocked. Edward knew that someone was inside his home and he likely knew that it was Selina too but she remained hidden, since she wanted to see how long he was willing to play this game.

"There isn't a strange woman hiding somewhere inside my home now is there? A woman that likes to moonlight as a giant cat."

A mischievous smile grew on Selina's face as she crept forward and peaked out of Eddie's kitchen too see that he had his back turned towards her since he was looking towards one the rooms she had yet to explore. Within a second Selina covered the ten feet between her and Eddie and latched onto him from behind.

"Guess who" Selina teased as she pressed her herself against his back and ran her hands over his body. Speaking in uncharacteristically apprehensive voice Eddie said "I believe I already have"

Selina raised herself up onto her toes so that she could whisper "Humor me" into his ear.

This time Eddie replied in a more playful tone of voice and said "You would have to be Selina Kyle"

Selina breathed in deeply, finding that she liked Eddie's scent, it was masculine but he didn't stink like a bum like many of Gothams criminals. Enjoying his scent and the warmth from his body, Selina held on for several more seconds before she released him, he had after all guessed who.

Stepping out of Selina's grasp, Eddie turned around to face her. "Not that I don't enjoy your…hands on approach to social greetings Selina but is there a reason you have broken into my home?"

In response Selina simply withdrew the flash drive from her pocket and handed it too Eddie. Eddie's face lit up as he took the drive from her."I hadn't expected you to get the job done so soon."

"I was bored" Selina replied coolly.

"Well as they say, a deal is a deal and I believe I owe you this."

Edward retrieved the small black case that housed her payment and handed it to her. Selina took the case from him but felt little satisfaction in gaining the goggles since they were never her primary focus. Setting the case down on Eddie's worktable, she looked up at him and spoke.

"You know what Eddie, there's something else that I would like as payment too."

A scowl grew on Eddie's face in response" Our transaction is finished Selina, the time for negotiations had passed."

Shaking her head side to side as she moved closer to Eddie Selina said" A man as bright as you should know that if I want something I'm going to take it."

Displaying a somewhat concerned look as Selina closed the distance he had only just created between them, Eddie asked "what is it that you want?'

Selina said nothing in return but grabbed Edward's tie to pull his head down closer to her before she pressed her lips against his. With her free hand Selina caressed Eddie's face, feeling the stubble that was growing in. The kiss lasted for a few seconds before she released him and looked up at Eddie in contentment, fully enjoying the rush of Endorphins the kiss had caused in her.

For his part Eddie stared back at Selina in stunned silence, eventually a switch inside the man appeared to be flipped as he regained his composure all at once and smoothed out his tie.

"Not that I'm complaining, but have I done anything special to earn you affection Selina?"

With a mischievous smirk on her face Selina replied" nope, nothing out of the ordinary."

Selina knew that answer wouldn't satisfy Eddie but she had no intention of giving him another, grabbing the black case she had left on his table Selina said "See you around Ed" before she turned and left his apartment.

She couldn't really call it a plan but two nights later Selina felt that the timing was right to strike again. This time she would be breaking into Eddie's apartment as Catwoman not Selina Kyle and Catwoman intended to take things further than Selina had. It wasn't that her alter ego was a different person, it was just that being her amplified Selina's self confidence and aggression. As Selina finished changing into the Catwoman outfit she was sure of one thing, Edward would know that she wanted him and he wouldn't even think about another woman after she was done with him.

Rather than repeat the means of entry she had used two days ago, Selina opted to use a window to get inside his apartment again. Opening up her own window, Selina crawled through and then let herself dangle from outside it with only her hands holding onto the window sill. Selina did her best the ignore the potential fifty foot drop and shimmied across the brick faced building until she found herself holding onto the ledge directly underneath Eddie's window.

As she had during the company break in Selina hauled herself up to look through the window. The room she peered into was dark but thanks to Eddie's goggles she was able to see that she was outside Edward's bedroom and that he was lying fast asleep. With a smirk growing on her lips, she pushed the window open which was unlocked because of the fifty foot drop it opened to.

Inside his apartment Selina stood over Edwards's bed, watching what had essentially become the center of her world less than a week ago sleep. Edward was a tall man but curled up underneath his covers he looked small and almost childlike. It wasn't just his body language that gave Edward a juvenile air either, in his sleep Eddie's facial features softened, while he normally wore a grin the was equally arrogant and vicious in his sleep his face took on a look of boyish innocence. These strange characteristics of Eddie's slumber made the man look vulnerable in a way Selina had never seen before and soon her mind was flooded with the memories of her conversation with him at the Iceberg lounge.

Selina wondered how much his father's abuse had affected him. She had routinely heard other Gotham rouges and members of the local media describe him as a man that was in love with himself. It was an unflattering and Selina was beginning to think unfair description of him. Perhaps he had turned out the way because there was simply no one else that loved him. His father clearly didn't care for him and Selina doubted his mother was much better. Without parents that were willing to love and nurture him, Eddie turned to the only person he could, himself.

While she had originally snuck into his apartment with an amorous intent, the situation had changed into something a little more serious. Selina saw that she could offer Edward something he had never had before, someone that was willing to love him despite his faults. Selina didn't have it in her to come out and tell him how she felt, she had her own problems with opening up to others or extending trust, but she knew that she could express her feelings in other ways and that Eddie was intelligent enough to read between the lines. Eventually he would see that her normally seductive ways mean something more, till then Selina planned to have some fun with him.

Unable to resist any longer Selina took off her goggles and placed them on Eddie's night stand before she pulled her cowl back to reveal her face and let her hair loose. Acting on impulse Selina crawled into Edwards's bed and laid down on her side so that she was facing him. For a short time she was content to lay there and watch him sleep blissfully, but eventually Selina grew bored and decided to wake Eddie. Reaching out to poke his shoulder, Selina whispered his name but Edward continued sleeping. Not to be deterred, Selina poked his shoulder with more force and spoke his name loudly. This time Edward woke up with a shock and backed away from the stranger in his bed. Selina couldn't help but let out a vicious chuckle at his reaction.

"What's wrong" Selina asked as she followed him across the bed. "Is the great Edward Nygma afraid to share his nice warm bed with me?"

In an exasperated but still calm tone that conveyed he now knew who was in bed with him Edward said "The great Edward Nygma expected to be alone when he woke up."

"I hope that doesn't mean you're disappointed" Selina teased as she wrapped an arm around him and pressed herself against him.

"On the contrary Selina, there isn't a man in this city who hasn't fantasized about this exact situation happening to them."

"Oh, so you admit that you think about me like that." Selina purred.

"After what you did to me two days ago it's difficult not to."

"And what did I do to you again" Selina asked playing coy.

In response Eddie simply leaned towards her and delivered a kiss to her lips. It sent a spark throughout her body and Selina felt like her head was swimming. While she had greatly enjoyed the affection she had given to him two days ago, this was better. This time Eddie had initiated it and she felt content in a way she had never felt before as she rested her head against his shoulder.

"You know Eddie; I think you're going to like having me as your neighbor."

"Is that your way of telling me there will be more nocturnal visits to my home?"

"Yep" Selina answered mattered of frankly.

"That's good I suppose."

"You suppose" Selina echoed in joking tone. "Don't you want me to keep you company Eddie?"

In an equally playful tone he replied "I wouldn't mind, though I have to ask if I had said no would you have actually listened to me."

"Nope" said Selina calmly before she pressed her lips against his again.

* * *

I guess you could say that this one is a product of the media I enjoyed while writing this. I played a lot of Splinter Cell which influenced the whole night vision/thermal goggles thing plus a good chunk of the second chapter. Also I listened to R.A.M the whole time which kinda explains the whole Daft Punk chapter title thing going on as well as the sappy, happy go lucky(Get Lucky, ahahahah...O.K I'll stop) romance feel to this story.

Anyway thanks to anyone who read, followed, reviewed, what have you.


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